February 2016–searching out a place to plant our proverbial roots– Camille and I (Riley) set out on a cross country road trip to explore the country’s various landscapes, climates, and communities.

Though we allotted ourselves a full year for travel, by September we had made up our minds: After working on farms and homesteads in Florida, Alabama, North Carolina and Oregon, as well as traversing much of the east and west coast, and spending time visiting friends and family in Idaho, Iowa, California, Arizona and Texas, we ended up right back where we started: Central Florida.

October 14, 2016–roughly 8 months after we started our journey–we moved into our new home: A 3 bedroom, one bath, set on a beautifully landscaped, well lit, quarter acre: a perfect canvas for our future food forest and urban homestead.

There were several factors that influenced our decision to settle in Florida, and more specifically, urban Florida. We considered things like length of growing season, yearly rain fall, real-estate & land prices, local culture and community, as well as availability & ease of access to resources.

While just about every place we visited had its own unique perks and appeal, ultimately Central Florida (specifically the Tampa Bay area) proved more so than any other location, to best meet our needs and desires.

Since moving in, we have been observing the property–making note of things like the sunniest and shadiest spots; where water tends to pool after rainstorms; wildlife; micro-climates; weather patterns, etc. Keeping all these things in mind, we have been brainstorming, envisioning, and playing around with ideas–plotting and moving around various design elements on our hand drawn base-map.

Below are several pics of the property from different angles as it was on the day we moved in. (Excuse the duplicates). I will document the various stages of the design implementation, including updated pics, in future posts. So stay tuned!

Camille and I (Riley) spent the first week of April (2016) volunteering at Circle T Farms in Brooksville, Florida–a newly forming 10 acre Permaculture Farm which (among other features) will include a large market garden, education center, and Forest Garden. Since Circle T is still in its initial phases of design/implementation, we actually got to help plant some of the first fruit trees and companion plants in the Forest Garden; this was our main project and a wonderful learning opportunity. –And we were lucky enough to work along side, and pick the brain of professional Permaculture designer Koreen Brennan.

We actually took one of Koreen’s Permaculture design courses back in 2014, and have been following her work ever since. When we heard she was looking for volunteers at Circle T, we jumped at the opportunity, and are so glad we did. In addition to learning more about the local flora and fauna, we got to play in the dirt and gain hands-on experience in creating a Food Forest from the ground up (literally) 🙂

To plant each tree we first selected the best location (taking into consideration sun and/or shade requirements) and dug a hole twice as wide, and slightly less deep than the height of the root ball. We then filled the hole with water and let it drain twice. Once all the water had drained from the hole, we threw in a few cups of compost. Next, we removed the tree from its pot, used our hands to carefully loosen the roots (they were tightly bound from being in the pot) and then sprinkled the roots with MYCO GROW–a soluble blend of mycorrhizae and beneficial bacteria that will form a symbotic relationship with the tree–helping to ward off disease while delivering otherwise unavailable sources of water & nutrience to the tree.

After applying the MYCO GROW, we placed the tree in the hole and replaced the dirt we had removed when digging–making sure to pack the dirt tightly around the roots so as to avoid leaving pockets of air (which can be damaging to the roots). Once the tree was firmly planted, we spread a ring of mulch around it–taking care to leave at least a six inch gap between the tree’s trunk and the mulch (the trunk needs air, and excess moisture can cause rot and make the tree susceptible to disease).

The mulch will serve many functions, including: retaining moisture, suppressing weeds, increasing organic matter in the soil, and regulating soil temperatures. For maximum effect we laid the mulch 18 inches deep around each tree. The exception to this was citrus trees, which are susceptible to root rot; we laid the mulch only 3 inches deep around them.

We then watered each tree with compost tea (to boost beneficial microbes), applied liberal amounts of composted cow manure (within the mulch ring), and then topped the manure with half a cup of Azomite powder (for organic trace minerals).

Once the trees were planted and mulched we got to create some guilds and do some companion planting. Companion planting is a form of polyculture which helps control pests, increases pollination and crop production, and also provides habitat for beneficial creatures. (Guilds are just specific groups of companion plants).

To protect and promote the health of the fruit trees, we planted various aromatic herbs and flowers around them. Rather than planting them in the ground, we actually planted them in the mulch rings. To do this, we created pockets in the mulch (the size of the plant’s root ball), filled the pockets with composted cow manure, and planted the flowers and herbs directly in the manure.

Plants with bulbs (such as lilies and garlic) will help repel burrowing animals, like gophers; comfrey is a dynamic accumulator-which can be “chopped and dropped” to add nutrience to the soil and feed the trees and other plants; sunshine mimosa is a nitrogen fixer and a living mulch; the flowers and herbs will attract pollinators and ward off insect pests.

First we started (from seed) several flats of onions, kale, lettuce, tomatoes, basil, parsley and bell peppers which will be kept indoors under grow lights for several weeks. We then transplanted young kale, lettuce, and broccoli plants directly into the garden, and also direct seeded several rows of carrots and snow peas, as well as 30 pounds of seed potatoes.

In addition to these plantings, we cut several sweet potatoes in half and partially submerged each half into a glass of water. Within a few weeks the potatoes should be covered in green shoots known as slips (this is where new sweet potatoes come from)

Tom will then remove the slips from the sweet potatoes and submerge the bottom half of the stems in a jar of water until they begin to sprout roots. Once the slips have roots they can be planted in the garden, and come Fall, Tom should nave a nice sweet potato harvest.

Though planting the veggie garden was our main task, we also cared for Tom’s chickens (feeding , watering, and collecting eggs), and at the end of our stay helped to relocate their pen.

Every few months Tom moves the chickens to a different section of the garden (whatever area he is letting rest at that time). –By doing this the chickens have a constant supply of fresh weeds and grubs, and the garden soil gets aerated and fertilized as the chickens scratch up the ground and make Nitrogen rich deposits of manure.

Next to to the chickens and veggie garden, Tom has a small fruit orchard where he practices companion planting as a means of pest management, which you can read more about here..

The property also has a beautiful stream snaking though it, as well as a secluded swimming hole and some pretty spectacular views which we were able to enjoy in our down time. –Tom’s dogs, Stella and Little Dog, are sweet, trusty companions; they rarely left our side. His cat Jasper is quite the character, and a great cuddler

Though I just about always enjoy being outdoors in the fresh air–playing in the dirt and learning something new, I would NOT recommend this site to others looking to do a WorkAway or WWOOF work exchange (nor would I return). I will not go into specific details as to why, but I will be happy to provide more information via private email correspondence.

I will say that this site is especially NOT recommended for young women traveling alone ( or even with a partner).

According to Volkert Engelsman, an activist with the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (quoted in Scientific American), “We are losing 30 soccer fields of soil every minute, mostly due to intensive farming,”

This is astonishing considering (according to the Natural Resource Conservation Service) most soil scientists agree that it takes at least 100 years, and in some places up to 500 years (depending on climate, vegetation, and other factors) for Nature to build just one inch of topsoil.

So how do we stop this madness? –What can we do to prevent and /or curb the effects of erosion? Here are a few ideas:

Our second day at Blue Ridge Napping Institute was spent surrounding forest for wild daffodils, and then digging them up and transplanting them around the base of fruit trees in Tom’s small orchard.

(Blue Ridge Napping Institute is Tom’s North Carolina homestead and an artist retreat; work-trade volunteers help him maintain the property in exchange for room, board, and hands-on learning).

Though familiar with the concept of companion planting, we were unaware that daffodils are excellent companions to fruit trees because they are poisonous and therefore repellent to many mammals and insects that tend to cause problems in orchards. –Encircling a tree in a ring of daffodils provides a protective barrier against pests, and as an added bonus, the daffodils will also attract beneficial insects and pollinators while suppressing the growth of grass.

Making them even more appealing is the fact that, once planted, daffodils require no maintenance and will continue to bloom year-after-year all on their own. And–although high doses can cause headaches and vomiting–in small, carefully controlled amounts, the flower’s essential oil helps to calm nerves and relieve stress in humans.

Not only are daffodils extremely useful, they are also quite elegant and beautiful. –If you can’t find any growing wild nearby, bulbs can be purchased at local nurseries or even ordered online….. Happy Gardening 🙂

During the summer of 2015, I (Riley) consulted with a non-profit organization in Central Florida that manages eight (elementary) schoolyard gardens. Their mission: “ to eliminate poverty as a factor in educational success and diet-related health issues”. In pursuit of this goal, volunteers and staff members provide students and their families with opportunities for hands-on learning in the gardens–teaching them how to grow and even prepare their own (healthy) food.

At the time of my consultation, all eight sites were employing traditional methods of vegetable gardening and composting–which when done on a large scale is quite labor intensive. As the organization continues to grow and install more gardens, they are seeking out ways to make the sites maximally productive, while requiring as little inputs and labor as possible. In other words, they are looking to make their projects more sustainable. That’s where I come in.

As a Permaculture designer, I study patterns and systems found within Nature and attempt to emulate them in order to create sustainable, abundant food gardens. The core ethics of Permaculture are: 1. Earth Care 2. People Care 3. Fair Share

To ensure I achieve a sustainable design and also remain true to these ethics, I use Permaculture’s 12 Design Principles as a guide. (It should be noted that Permaculture’s design methodology can be applied to any system one wishes to make more sustainable).

Below I have listed and given specific examples of how each principle is expressed in the Permaculutre Designs I created for the schoolyard gardens.

For example: The garden designs include various elements and plants that will be appealing and interesting to young children. For example, the Black Sapote Tree –which yields fruits that taste like chocolate pudding; and other dwarf varieties of fruit trees–which are smaller and “kid size”. Plants like Walking Onions, Lamb’s Ear, and Pineapple Sage have unique qualities that make them fun to see, taste, smell and touch–making them interesting and appealing on many levels.

Even the design maps have been artistically styled to spark the imagination of the young students–employing the use of bright colors and imperfect qualities (though still to-scale and accurately depicting directional aspects)

2. Connect &Use relative location: Place elements in ways that create useful relationships and time-saving connections among all parts.

For example: The designs are laid out so that Banana circles / composting sites are located closest to the portion of the garden dedicated to growing annual food crops. –This way compost can easily be transported from the banana circle to the annual plants (which will require more frequent feeding than plants located in the Forest portion of the garden). In addition to this, nitrogen fixing and mineral accumulating plants (such as comfrey and Pigeon Peas) will be planted close to the composting site, so that they can easily be “chopped & dropped” into the compost pile–adding essential nutrients and minerals to the soil.

For example: Mulch should be placed around plants and along paths to catch and store moisture in the soil. –Also, mineral accumulating plants (such as comfrey) peppered throughout the gardens will collect & store nutrients in their leaves (which can be “chopped & dropped” into garden beds and compost piles to increase soil fertility).

4. Each element performs multiple functions. Choose and place each element in a system to perform as many functions as possible. Beneficial connections between diverse components create a stable whole.

For example: Pigeon Peas planted throughout the gardens will provide multiple functions, including: providing a food source; improving soil fertility (by fixing nitrogen into the soil); attracting pollinators; acting as a living trellis for climbing plants; and their trimmings can be thrown directly on the ground to be used as a mulch.

5. Each function is supported by multiple elements. Use multiple methods to achieve important functions and to create synergies.

For example: The function of pest management is supported by: healthy soil full of beneficial microbes (maintained through the practice of soil building / composting); a polyculture food forest which is less vulnerable to disease and thereby pests; plants–like marigold and nasturtiums– that repel pests and /or attract beneficial insects that prey on harmful pests .

6. Make the least change for the greatest effect. Find the “leverage points” in the system and intervene there, where the least work accomplishes the most change.

For example: The new designs work with and are somewhat informed by each garden’s original layout. For example, new elements and plants are positioned within the landscape so that they can take advantage of the existing irrigation system.

7. Use small scale, intensive systems.

-For example: In the new designs, the total square footage dedicated to the growing of annuals is reduced by approximately one half. In the future, all annuals (which are conducive to the method) should be planted according the bio-intensive, square-foot gardening method–which produces optimum yields per square foot. Also, the new designs call for the North West corner of each garden to be converted into a perennial Food Forest.

Optimize edge. The edge—the intersection of two environments—is the most diverse place in a system, and is where energy and materials accumulate or are transformed. Increase or decrease edge as appropriate.

For example: Some of the schoolyard gardens are located along streets or sidewalks–in such instances shrubs or trees should be used to create a sound and sight pollution barrier; this will lessen distractions and give way to a more ideal learning environment.

9. Collaborate with succession. Systems will evolve over time, often toward greater diversity and productivity.

For example: As fruit trees mature and spread their canopies, more shade-loving plants can be introduced into the system (planted below the fruit trees).

10. Use biological and renewable resources.

For example: Organic food waste should be collected from each school’s cafeteria and composted on site; in this way the school’s (continuous) waste stream is used to build soil and feed plants.

For example: Each garden has the “problem” of sinking hugelkultur beds. This can be turned into a solution by building the beds back up with soil builder and compost and then planting a perennial food forest in the beds. –Although the sinking beds are less than ideal for annual crops (as they are easily flooded), the breaking down of the aged wood (the main hugulkultur ingredient) has created a nutrient dense, humus rich soil which is ideal for supporting edible forest plants, such as fruit trees and berry bushes.

12. Get a yield. Design for both immediate and long-term returns from your efforts.

For example: The new designs include fruit trees which may take a few years to bear fruit. However, herbaceous and root crops–such as okinawan spinach and cassava–are also included in the designs, and will provide a food source within the first growing season. And because the vast majority of the plants included in the new designs are perennial, they will provide yields for many years with little or no effort other than pruning and harvesting.

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For those who are interested, here is a detailed list (including descriptions) of the main elements and techniques I included in the permaculture designs for the schoolyard gardens (located in Central Florida). —In the long run, these features will save resources, energy, time, & money:

BANANA CIRCLE:(substitute for the current “hot” composting stations/system) A multi-functional circular compost pit which can be used for food production and soil building. The pit is 3 foot deep and 4 to 6 foot wide–filled with organic matter and surrounded by a berm on which various edible crops are planted.

FOREST GARDEN: A seven “layer” garden that duplicates the diversity and distinct layers found within a natural forest. The result is a healthy, functional ecosystem less vulnerable to disease, and maximally productive. Another benefit to the food forest, is that once it is established (other than harvesting) it requires very little work or maintenance.

ALLEY CROPPING: Growing annual crops between widely spaced trees or shrubs.–I recommend growing Pigeon Peas in each bed. –Not only will they provide an additional food source, but they also: improve soil fertility (by fixing nitrogen into the soil), attract pollinators, can be used as a living trellis for climbing plants, and their trimmings can be thrown directly on the ground to be used as a mulch.

WORM TOWERS: A method of “direct composting” which utilizes worms.–HOW TO: Holes are drilled all over the sides and bottom of a 5 gallon food-grade bucket (with a lid), and the bucket is then buried, so that the lid is level with the ground. (Do not drill holes in the lid). Food scraps are deposited into the bucket and worms enter through the holes and eat the food. They then exit–making their way through the garden bed and leaving their poop behind as fertilizer. Keeping a lid on the bucket ensures there is no smell and also keeps vermin out……This method of composting and fertilizing requires a fraction of the time and energy required by the current “hot” composting system (which requires constant flipping).

MINERAL/DYNAMIC ACCUMULATORS FOR “CHOP & DROP”:Plants that gather nutrients & minerals that other plants are not able to access. They store the nutrients in their leaves; they can be “chopped” and “dropped” directly onto the soil so that the nutrients are made available to other plants.

PERENNIAL VEGETABLES:Only have to be planted ONCE, and they continue to grow all year (or die back in winter and come back on their own).

Yesterday I (Riley) attended a Permablitz at the home of Permaculture Designer and teacher Koreen Breenan, where I learned (hands-on) how to install a small pond, which will ultimately serve as an Edible water garden

First (on fairly level ground) we dug a kidney shaped hole, aproximately 4 foot wide and 9 foot long, with varying depths. (2 ft deep in the shallow end, gradually sloping–with a few terraces– into a deep end of 4 feet).

–We also created a (6 inch deep) wetland along part of the bank, which will enventually be filled in with varoius Aquatic plants that will serve to cleanse and oxyginate the water as well as provide a habitat for frogs and other water loving creatures.

We then walked along the bottom of the pond to compact the soil. –In some places where the soil is mostly clay, this alone might be enough to seal the pond. However, here in florida the soil is very sandy and porous, so extra measures must be taken to ensure the pond will hold water.

To further seal the pond, we overlapped several pieces of salvaged carpet, and then topped that off with an old billboard tarp–making sure the tarp extended the entire perimeter by 2 ft to ensure we could properly weight it’s edges down to prevent it from shifting over time. (If you’re interested in a more natural means of sealing a pond, I recommend gleying.)

Having laid the carpet and tarp, we then used old logs to weight the tarp down and did an impromtu rain dance before calling it a day. The next steps will be to mulch over the edges of the tarp and to create a spillway that will direct the flow of excess water and prevent flooding. This can be done with the use of a pipe, or by creating an earthen channel. (See the above link for simple steps on how to do this).

Once the pond is full of water, Koreen will introduce Gambusia fish (a.k.a. Mosquito Minnows). –These little guys don’t require an air pump, and will serve to keep mosquito populations down (they eat their larvae), while also providing a source of Nitrogen (their poop) for the edible, Aquatic plants Koreen will grow in the pond.

For more detailed information of creating an edble water garden, I recommend the visiting this site.